3.24.2011

Stash Busting My Scraps - Floor Puffs {a tutorial}

Welcome Spring Stashbusters and Tshirt Diaries Fans!  I am so excited to be a part of Robin's stashbusting challenge.  I have more than a stash, I have a hoard!  See it for yourself here...  Below are some close ups of my scrap hoard, they multiply when I'm not looking.  Be glad the pics aren't life size.
1.  Some folded, much of this is less than a yard.  2.  An overflowing container. 
3.  About a dozen baggies sorted by colors.  4.  A bag I don't think I've even looked at yet!
The other weekend my girls and I were cleaning up their basement playroom.  Their main source of seating down there are a few bean bag chairs that were mine in high school, so I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised to see they have holes and the beans are sneaking out.  My first thought was to just make new covers and drop the old ones inside.  After watching my younger two struggle to move these around, I decided something more size appropriate was in order.  I give you our combination of bean bag chair and floor cushion... The Floor Puff:
So, let's get started, shall we?  Here's what you'll need but keep in mind, rock what ya' got:
  • Scraps of all sizes and colors
  • Two yards of a fabric that you no longer love (or old sheet, table cloth, curtain, etc)
  • Zippers (2 per puff)
  • Styrofoam, packing peanuts, old bean bag chair, fiber fill, old pillows, etc.
  • Basic sewing supplies
A few notes before we begin.  I used serged all my seams, if you don't have a serger, I recommend either double stitching every seam or a tight zig zag.  If you have children like mine who WILL jump on and abuse these, securing the seams will reduce seams splitting and a major mess (I know this from experience).

Make a pattern.  Overall I wanted my floor puffs to be 36 inches in diameter, I also knew I didn't want a bunch of uniform squares.  My kitchen floor is 18 inch tiles, so using some scrap paper and scissors, I cut pieces to get a starting point.
Start with scraps that are close enough to your pattern pieces, then cut other scraps until you have enough.  Here's the math: each side will need four 18 inch squares, so you will need 8 of every piece.  Side note: as I was digging through my scraps, I realized I had a ton that were about half the width of some of my pattern pieces.  Easy enough to fix, I cut my pattern piece in half and adjusted my pattern to the scraps I had. 
Set aside any long strips, we'll get to these later:
Start sewing your pieces together.  Here's a tip for speeding up the process, sew like pairs together one right after the next and cut them apart later.  Like this (don't mind my toes):
Continue to sew your pieces together until you have 8 blocks.  Now grab a few of those long strips and sew them along two sides of your blocks.  (I'll have another tutorial, next week with another stashbusting project for the rest of those long strips...)
Sew 4 of your blocs together to form a giant block.  Repeat.
Take a deep breath, we're making major progress here!  Using some freezer paper or newspaper, tape it together to make a 36 inch square.  Fold into four (1) and use a string or tape measure to mark of a quarter of a circle (2).  Cut out (3) while letting your three-year old play with your scrap pile, please excuse the sideways picture.  When you open it up (4) you have a 36 inch circle!
1.  2. 

3.  4. 
Face your giant blocks together and lay your circle over top.
Cut out your circle.  You will also need to cut two circles out of the 2 yard piece (I used a sheet that had a stain on it, two one yard pieces would also work).

I'm not going to give you pictures for the next step.  We are going to sew the circles together and include a zipper on each.   Every time I try to take pictures when adding a zipper, I put the zipper on backwards!  Follow the directions on the package!  We have essentially made two circular bags, see:
Now it's time for the messy part, filling our puffs!  First stuff your ugly bag inside your awesome patchwork bag
Since I have old bean bag chairs, I'm starting with that filling.  Here's what's inside mine, I remember adding packing peanuts and broken up Styrofoam many years ago...
I also added some left over batting (torn up and tossed in between handfuls of Styrofoam) and even the trimmings from my serger.  I'm rockin' what I got!
My assistant decided I'd filled it enough for the time being!
I think he likes it, what do you think?
Got a lot of scraps, make more!  Look, 12 yards of fabric I didn't realize I had. 
PS - Don't forget to stop back and see what I do with all those really long strips of scrap fabric....

Peace be with you,

18 comments:

Christine B. said...

I love it! So colorful and I'm very envious of your fabric stash.

~Beth D. said...

awesome! thanks for sharing the idea.

Julie said...

Cute!

Marnie said...

Great work. You are very creative!
x Marnie

Unknown said...

EEEEK This is soooooooo great. Perfect for kids. great way to add color and fun to any room. I heart this.

Unknown said...

Love this!

Sandra Toro said...

amazing!!!

Jill said...

I LOVE this!! I have an enormous stash of scraps too that I'm oh so slowly working my way through! I really like this idea of a floor cushion - think I might have a go too!

Thanks for linking to a Round Tuit!
Hope you have a great weekend!
Jill @ Creating my way to Success
http://www.jembellish.blogspot.com/

Kimberlee, The Spunky Diva said...

What a great way to use up some of those smaller pieces/scraps. He is certainly in love, LOL. Visiting from Sew Chatty.
-Kimberlee
www.TheSpunkyDiva.com

Chocolate Drool and Kisses said...

way to use up what you have! it turned out really cute! I would love it if you would come by and link up on my party!
Crystal

Rose :: FineCraftGuild.com said...

I had to smile seeing your living room with all that scrap.

Good job on the floor pillow.
Come link it up with us
http://www.finecraftguild.com/diy-craft-tutorial-linky-party-31/

abeachcottage said...

Lovely idea, thanks for the tutorial. Your boy look so peaceful nestled on that floor puff :)

@pril said...

I really like this, great colors. I saw this at Handmade Tuesdays by Ladybug Blessings.

My blog is having it's first linky party this weekend. I would love for you to add this post: http://koolbeenz-blog.blogspot.com/2011/03/funky-fresh-friday-1.html

Katherine said...

Love this! I just want to flop on it! Wish I had a huge stash of fabric like that! Thanks for linking up!

Katherine said...

BTW, I featured this post on my blog tonight so come on by and grab a featured button if you want!

Unknown said...

Now this is thrifty & creatve!! Happy to see your creative idea linked up last week at my K.I.S.S. blog bash. Looking forward to seeing what great project you share this week, remember the link is open until tonight @ midnight {CST}.

Drop by The Tattered Tag

Jacqueline said...

Very Cute!

Blissful & Domestic said...

These look like they would be comfy for my littles while they watch their cartoons. I think I will have to made some of these:> Do you know where to get filling for the bean bags? Does joann seale some?

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